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The counsellors advise that a selection of virgins
should be made throughout the empire, out of whom
the king should choose one to be queen in place
of Vashti, 1-4.
Account of Mordecai and his
cousin Esther, 5-7.
She is chosen among the young
women, and is placed under the care of Hegai, the
king's chamberlain, to go through a year's
purification, 8-11.
The manner in which these
young women were introduced to the king, and how
those were disposed of who were not called again
to the king's bed, 12-14.
Esther pleases the
king, and is set above all the women; and he
makes her queen in the place of Vashti, and does her
great honour, 15-20.
Mordecai, sitting at
the king's gate, discovers a conspiracy formed
against the king's life by two of his chamberlains;
he informs the king, the matter is investigated,
they are found guilty and hanged, and the
transaction is recorded, 21-23.
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Verse 2 . Let there be fair
young virgins sought for the king
This was the usual way in which the harem or
seraglio was furnished: the finest women in the
land, whether of high or low birth, were sought out, and
brought to the harem. They all became the king's
concubines: but one was raised, as chief
wife or sultana, to the throne; and her issue
was specially entitled to inherit.
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Verse 3 . Hege the king's
chamberlain
Hege seris
hammelech, "Hege, the king's eunuch;" so
the Septuagint, Vulgate, Targum, and Syriac. In the
Eastern countries the women are intrusted to the care of
the eunuchs only.
Let their things for
purification be given them
tamrukeyhen, their cosmetics. What
these were we are told in Esther
2:12; oil of myrrh, and sweet odours.
The myrrh was employed for six months, and the
odours for six months more, after which the
person was brought to the king. This space was
sufficient to show whether the young woman had been
chaste; whether she were with child or
not, that the king might not be imposed on, and be
obliged to father a spurious offspring, which might have
been the case had not this precaution been used.
Instead of the oil or myrrh, the Targum says
it was the oil of unripe olives which caused the hair to
fall off, and rendered the skin delicate.
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Verse 5 . Whose name was
Mordecai
The Targum says, "He was
the son of Jair, the son of Shimea, the son of Gera, the
son of Kish." And "this was the same Shimea that cursed
David; and whom David forbade Joab to slay because he
saw, in the spirit of prophecy, that he was to be the
predecessor of Esther and Mordecai; but
when he became old, and incapable of having
children, David ordered Solomon to put him to death."
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Verse 7 . He brought up
Hadassah
hadassah signifies a
myrtle in Chaldee: this was probably her first or
Babylonish name. When she came to the
Persian court, she was called Esther,
{Persian} aster, or {Persian} sitara,
which signifies a star in Persian: the name is
undoubtedly Persian. Esther was the daughter of Abihail,
the uncle of Mordecai, and therefore must have been
Mordecai's cousin, though the Vulgate and Josephus make
her Mordecai's niece: but it is safest here to
follow the Hebrew.
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Verse 9 . The maiden pleased
him
He conceived a partiality for her
above the rest, probably because of the propriety of her
deportment, and her engaging though unassuming manners.
Seven maidens
These were to attend her to the bath, to
anoint and adorn her, and be her servants in general.
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Verse 10 . Esther had not
showed her people
This might have
prejudiced her with the king; for it was certainly no
credit at the Persian court to be a Jew; and we
shall find from the sequel that those who were in the
Persian dominions were far from being reputable,
or in a safe state. Besides, had her lineage been
known, envy might have prevented her from ever
having access to the king.
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Verse 12 . Six months with oil
of myrrh
See on Esther
2:3. The reason of this purification seems not to be
apprehended by any writer I have seen. The most
beautiful of all the young virgins of all the provinces
of Babylon were to be selected; and these were taken out
of all classes of the people, indiscriminately;
consequently there must have been many who were brought
up in low life. Now we know that those who feed on
coarse strong food, which is not easily digested, have
generally a copious perspiration, which is strongly
odorous; and in many, though in every respect amiable,
and even beautiful, this odour is far from being
pleasant. Pure, wholesome, easily digested, and
nourishing aliment, with the frequent use of the hot
bath, continued for twelve months. the body
frequently rubbed with olive oil, will in almost
every case remove all that is disagreeable of this kind.
This treatment will give a healthy action to all the
subcutaneous vessels, and in every respect promote
health and comfort.
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Verse 13 . Whatsoever she
desired
When any of the young women
were called to go to the king, it appears that it was an
ordinance that whatever kind of dress stuff, colour,
jewels, thought best to set off their persons, and
render them more engaging, should be given them.
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Verse 14 . She returned into
the second house
This was the place
where the king's concubines were kept. They went
out no more, and were never given in marriage to any
man, and saw the king's face no more unless specially
called.
Custody of
Shaashgaz
This is probably another
Persian name; {Persian} sheshkhunj,
beardless, a proper epithet of a eunuch; or
{Persian} sestgunj, weak loins, for the same
reason. Names of this kind at once show the reason of
their imposition, by describing the state of the
person.
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Verse 15 . She required
nothing
She left this entirely to her
friend Hege, who seems to have been intent on her
success. She therefore left her decorations to his
judgment alone, and went in that dress and in those
ornaments which he deemed most suitable.
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Verse 16 . The tenth
month-Tebeth
Answering to part of our
December and January.
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Verse 17 . Set the royal crown
upon her head
Made her what is now
called in the East the SULTANA, the queen. She
was the mistress of all the rest of the wives, all of
whom were obliged to pay her the most profound respect.
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Verse 18 . Made a release to
the provinces
Remitted some kind of
tribute or impost, in honour of Esther, at
her coronation, as our kings generally do when they are
crowned, ordering a discharge from prison of many who
are confined for minor offenses. As it was the custom of
the Persian kings to give their queens something like
what is called with us the aurum reginae, "queen
gold," which was a tenth of all fines, (for they gave
them such a city to buy them clothes, another for
their hair, a third for their necklaces, a
fourth for their pearls, ) it is probable that,
on this occasion, Esther so wishing, he relieved those
cities and provinces which had before paid this queen
gold from all these expenses; and this would tend
greatly to make the queen popular.
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Verse 21 . Mordecai sat in the
kings gate
Mordecai might have been
one of the officers of the king, as the
gate was the place where such usually attended to
await the king's call. It is not likely that he was the
porter; had he been only such, Haman could
have removed him at once.
Two of the king's
chamberlains
Eunuchs. Why they
conspired against the life of the king, we are not
informed. The Targum says that they found out
that Esther had intended to use her influence with the
king to get them removed from their office, and Mordecai
put in their place; therefore they determined to poison
Esther, and slay the king in his bedchamber. It is very
likely that they were creatures of Haman, who probably
affected the kingdom, and perhaps were employed by him
to remove the king, and so make his way open to the
throne.
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Verse 22 . Was known to
Mordecai
Josephus says that a Jew,
named Barnabasus, overheard the plot, told it to
Mordecai, Mordecai to Esther, and Esther to the king, in
Mordecai's name; and he was registered as the
discoverer.
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Verse 23 . It was found
out
It was proved against them, in
consequence of which they were hanged. Perhaps
the words vaiyittalu al ets, they were hung upon
wood or a tree, may refer to their being
impaled. A pointed stake is set upright in the
ground, and the culprit is taken, placed on the sharp
point, and then pulled down by his legs till the stake
that went in at the fundament passes up through the body
and comes out by the side of the neck. A most dreadful
species of punishment, in which revenge and
cruelty may glut the utmost of their malice. The
culprit lives a considerable time in excruciating
agonies.
It has been observed that the name of God does
not once occur in this book. This is true of the
Hebrew text, and all translations from it;
but in the Septuagint we find the following
words, in Esther
2:20, after, Esther had not showed her
kindred:(οις ),
; "For so Mordecai had charged her to
fear GOD, and to keep his commandments, as she did when
with him." This, as far as the Septuagint is
concerned, takes away the strange reproach from this
book. It must be owned that it was not because there
were not many fair opportunities that the sacred name
has not been introduced.
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Copyright Statement
The Adam Clarke Commentary is a derivative
of an electronic edition prepared by GodRules.net.
Bibliography
Information
Clarke, Adam.
"Commentary on Esther 2". "The Adam Clarke Commentary".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=es&chapter=002>.
1832.
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